Lockable insert for wire access pit

ABSTRACT

A protective insert for wires in a junction box is formed by a lockable cover having a frame with an opening and a pivotable cover for covering the opening. The frame is sized to rest on an inner lip of the box, which lip normally holds a lid for the box. The lid rests on the lockable cover. The cover may be pivoted open for access to wires in the junction box and may be pivoted closed, and locked, to protect the wires from theft or vandalism. The lockable cover is held down on the lip preferably by chains fixed to the frame with stakes fixed to a free end of the chains, and by pounding the stakes into the ground at the bottom of the box.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present invention claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/130,155, filed May 29, 2008, and incorporated byreference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a lockable insert for a junction boxand preferably for an in ground junction box.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years the cost of copper, e.g., copper wire, has increasedgreatly. Such increases have given rise to thieves stealing copper wirefrom junction boxes such as those for lighting. Typically, there are inground junction boxes with copper wires adjacent or proximate virtuallyevery outdoor light post, and other outdoor electrical devices.

When wire is stolen from a box, there is not only the cost of new wire,but also the much larger cost of skilled electricians to rewire thelight. There is also a safety hazard due to the light being out, and dueto free ends of remaining wire. One solution that has been used is toreplace the entire box with a lockable box.

This is extremely expensive. The boxes are formed by a large concreterectangular block that is in a hole in the ground. The cost of the boxand the labor to replace the box is very expensive. Therefore, such asolution is too expensive.

Another solution is to thread the incoming wire into a lockablecylindrical member that essentially squeezes the incoming wires insideit. However, in that case thieves cut the wires at the point of entryinto the cylinder, and pull the remaining wires out, necessitating thesame or more electrical repair and time than if there were no lockingdevice at all.

A further solution has been proposed for a “vandal resistant pull boxinsert.” Such an insert is offered for sale at www.McCain-inc.com. Theinsert is a rectangular panel that just fits within the inner dimensionsof a pull box. The panel sits on two inverted U-shaped brackets that arefriction fit into the pull box. There is ground hardware. The panellocks to one of the brackets. This insert does not use the rim of thepull box as a mounting surface. Moreover, this insert appears to be ableto be pulled out. Further, because of the position of the insert it hasthe grounding hardware. Installation involves pulling existing wires outof the way and normally out of the pull box. There is significant shockhazard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a secure lockableinsert which is easy to retrofit on any box, without any electrical workand without the need to dig up, remove and replace the existing box. Theinsert includes a frame that goes rests on the inner rim of a existingin-ground junction box, underneath the cover, as well as a flap that isconnected to the frame. The flap has two tubes that are welded to it atone end. The tubes receive a rod that extends from one side of the frameto the other, creating a hinge. The frame also has a tab that fitsthrough a slot in the flap when the flap is in the closed position. Thetab and slot are located at the opposite end from the hinge. The tab hasan aperture for receiving a pad lock that can then be put on the tab toprevent the flap from opening. The pre-existing cover will then rest ontop of the insert.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a lockable insert for a junction box inaccordance with a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a handle and lock of thelockable insert of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of a conventional junction box with itscover in place, which may have a lockable insert in accordance with theinvention therein;

FIG. 4 is a side partial schematic view of a junction box with thelockable insert of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the lockable insert of the inventionwith its rotatable cover in an open position;

FIG. 6 is a view of a conventional copper wire holder known as a “CopperKeeper”;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a junction box with the lockable insertin it, and with its rotatable cover in the closed position, and with thejunction box lid rotated upward;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view like that of FIG. 7, with the junction boxlid removed and the rotatable cover in the open position;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the lockable insert showing its frameand showing the rotatable cover in the open position;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the lockable insert showing therotatable cover in the closed position;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a lockable insert of another embodimentof the invention, showing its frame and showing its rotatable cover inthe open position; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the lockable insert of FIG. 11 showingthe rotatable cover in the closed position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

In FIG. 1, an outdoor, in ground lockable insert 15 for a junction box 3is shown from the top. Junction box 3 has a concrete substantiallyrectangular block formed by walls 5 (FIG. 3). Box 3 has a lid 6 thatsits on an inner rim 6 a (FIG. 4).

The box is set in the ground and provides a place for connecting wiresand/or access to wires that are underground, such as for street lights.As shown by FIG. 4, a junction box 3 may have wires 37 connected toanother junction box 39 or a series of boxes in the event of a long run.The wires 37 go from a junction box 3 also to a power source such as atransformer 10. The simplest arrangement is normally from a transformerto a junction box to a street light.

In FIG. 4, wires 37 may come from a transformer 10 to box 5, enteringthrough a pipe 7 or conduit and exiting through another pipe 8 orconduit, and then on to a street light 12.

Conventionally, lid 6 typically sits on the rim 6 a and can simply bepulled up, usually by rotating the lid to a position such as shown inFIG. 7. Then one may grab each side of the lid and fully remove it.

As shown in FIG. 5, lockable insert 15 has an outer rectangular frame 17and a rotatable cover 19. Cover 19 has tubes 20 (or just one tube) thatare near one end and slide over a rod 22. Rod 22 may be welded to aninner vertical flange 17 a of frame 17. There may be holes at portionsof flange 17 a that the rod may pass slightly through for additionalsupport. The frame 17 has a horizontal flange 17 b which sits on rim 6 aof box 3.

The tubes 20, best seen in FIG. 5, may be welded to cover 19. Cover 19rotates on rod 22, and fits within frame 17. Cover 19 is stopped fromrotating by a tab 24 at the other end of the frame from rod 22. Tab 24has a plate 24 a and an upright projection 24 b with an aperture 24 ctherein. Cover 19 has a slot 19 a in a position corresponding to theprojection's position. When the cover is closed, the projection 24 bextends through the slot 19 a, sufficiently so that the aperture isaccessible from above the cover. As shown in FIG. 2, in this way apadlock 26 may be placed through aperture 24 c and through an aperture27 a in another projection 27 fixed to the top of the rotatable coveradjacent the slot. There may be a handle 28 on cover 19 covering theprojections 24 b and 27 to help protect them, and to allow one to easilypull up cover 19. Therefore, cover 19 may be rotated up, after removingthe padlock 26, to a position past ninety degrees, so that it will stayopen (see FIGS. 9 and 11).

To secure lockable insert 15 (FIG. 5) to the junction box 3 (FIG. 7), inthe combination of the junction box and lockable insert, several methodsmay be used. For example, flange 17 a may be bolted into the concretewalls 5. It is preferred, however, to secure, e.g., by welding, a chainor chains 1, 2 to the underside of the flange 17 b and/or 17 a. Theother end of the chains are secured to rods or stakes 1 a and 2 a seenin FIG. 4. The stakes in turn are pounded into the ground. This makesinstallation of the lockable cover very quick and easy. All one needs todo is open the box, take off the lid completely, lay the lockable coverwith flange 17 b onto the rim 6 a of the box, open the cover of thelockable insert, and pound the stakes into the ground. Then the covermay be closed and locked.

Another version of the lockable insert uses a key lock. As shown inFIGS. 9 and 10, a lock mechanism 30 is fixed to the underside of cover19. A projecting plate 31 is fixed to the frame in place of projection24. In FIG. 10, cover 19 is rotated down to the closed position. A keyhole 31 projects into cylinder 33 passing through the cover 19. Using akey to turn the lock, a locking tab extends from lock mechanism 30 underplate 31, so cover 19 cannot be pulled up. To unlock just rotate the keyin the opposite direction. There may be a handle in this embodiment too,or the key may be used to pull up on the cover to rotate it to the openposition.

As shown in FIG. 6, a “Copper Keeper” or equivalent may be used as adevice 38 to connect the wires and/or to help prevent theft. The wiresenter the device in vertical slots (not shown) at about ninety degreesfrom each other on core 39, and core 39 is inserted into outer member40. Turning a screw on core 39 causes portions of core 39 to expand andfriction fit inside outer member 40.

The lockable insert preferably is of materials that will last outdoors,e.g., galvanized metal, stainless steel, or the like. It can also bemade of plastic, but the plastic must be very strong to withstandstomping or other attempts to break it. Therefore, metal is preferred.

The above described embodiments of the invention can be varied in manyways. One way is by providing a variation of the locking mechanism. Theflange against which the lock engages can be a bent bar (a very shallowU-shape) with each leg fixed to the frame, and having an aperture in themiddle of the bar. The locking cylinder can be placed within a casefixed to the underside of the cover, so as to be integral or unitarywith the cover. The top of the cylinder would be accessible from the topof the cover, e.g., by an aperture in the cover. The cylinder can thusbe “heavy duty” and very difficult to tamper with. The locking tab fromthe cylinder, when the cylinder is engaged and the lock is engaged,would engage the aperture in the bent bar.

In addition, the cover can be made any size to fit boxes of varioussizes, and the cover can be made to essentially make the cover serve asthe lid for the box too. In such a case, the cover is preferably sizedin thickness to take up from the rim up to a point where it isrelatively flush with the top of the box.

Although the invention has been described using specific terms, devices,and/or methods, such description is for illustrative purposes of thepreferred embodiment(s) only. Changes may be made to the preferredembodiment(s) by those of ordinary skill in the art without departingfrom the scope of the present invention, which is set forth in thefollowing claims. In addition, it should be understood that aspects ofthe preferred embodiment(s) generally may be interchanged in whole or inpart.

1. A protective insert for a junction box, the protective insertcomprising: (i) a rectangular frame having an upper surface definedaround its periphery and having an interior rectangular aperture definedtherein, and having a pivotably mounted rectangular cover which isdisposed in the interior aperture and lies flush to the upper surface ofthe frame when the cover is closed, (ii) a first means for holding theframe against an inner rim of a junction box, and (iii) a second meansfor locking the cover to the frame when the cover is closed, whereby theframe and cover lie in a common plane when the cover is closed, andwherein the cover is mounted to the frame by a hinge comprising at leastone tube fixed to an underside of the cover proximate one end of thecover, and a rod fixed to an underside of the frame and passing throughthe at least one tube, thereby creating the hinge.
 2. The insert ofclaim 1, wherein the first means comprises a pair of chains that arefixed to a flange of the frame at one end and to stakes at the otherend, whereby the stakes may be pounded into ground.
 3. The insert ofclaim 1, wherein the second means comprises a tab fixed to the frame andthe tab having a vertical portion with an aperture therein to bereceived by a slot in a closed cover.
 4. The insert of claim 3, whereinthe second means further comprises said slot formed in the cover forreceiving the vertical portion of the tab whereby in the closed positiona padlock can be placed through the aperture of the tab.
 5. The insertof claim 4, wherein the cover further comprises a flange having anaperture and extending up from the cover adjacent the slot whereby thepadlock may pass through the tab of the cover and the vertical portionof the tab from the frame.
 6. The insert of claim 1, wherein the secondmeans comprises a lock cylinder having a keyhole and fixed in the cover,and a flange fixed to the frame.
 7. A combination of a junction box anda lockable insert, wherein the combination comprises: (a) a junction boxcomprising a box having four walls, the top of each of the four wallsforming an inner rim, and a removable lid for resting on the rim, whichrim projects inwardly from the walls; and (b) a lockable insertcomprising: (i) a frame for resting on the rim, the frame defining anopening in a central portion thereof. (ii) a first means for holding theframe down against the rim; (iii) a cover movably mounted to the framefor selectively covering the opening at the central portion of theframe; and (iv) a second means for locking the cover to the frame withthe cover covering the opening.
 8. The combination of claim 7, whereinthe cover is pivotably mounted to the frame.
 9. The combination of claim7, wherein the cover is pivotably mounted to the frame by fixing atleast one tube to the cover and a rod to the frame and the rod passesthrough the at least one tube.
 10. The combination of claim 7, whereinthe first means comprises chains fixed to the frame and stakes fixed tothe chains.
 11. The combination of claim 7, wherein the second meanscomprises a tab fixed to the frame and having a vertical portion with anaperture therein.
 12. The combination of claim 11, wherein the secondmeans further comprises a slot formed in the cover for receiving thevertical portion of the tab so that in a closed position a padlock canbe placed through the aperture in the tab.
 13. The combination of claim7, wherein the second means comprises a lock cylinder having a keyholeand the cylinder is fixed to the cover, and a flange fixed to the frame.14. The combination of claim 7, wherein the frame is rectangular andwherein the walls of the junction box define an open bottom.
 15. Amethod for installing a lockable cover onto a junction box wherein thejunction box comprises a box having four walls and the walls defining anopen bottom, and the walls having an inner rim which projects inwardlyfrom the walls for supporting a lid for the box, the method comprising:placing the lockable cover on the inner rim of the walls with a frame ofthe lockable cover resting on the inner rim, and with chains attached tothe frame at one end and stakes attached to the chain at another endthereof; (ii) opening a cover of the lockable cover for access to theopen bottom of the box; (iii) putting the stakes in the ground forholding the lockable cover into place; (iv) closing and locking thecover to the frame; and putting the lid on the cover.
 16. The method ofclaim 15, wherein there is a step of removing the lid of the box priorto the step of placing the lockable cover onto the rim.